If you are shopping on a budget, the best thing I can recomend is for you to go with what sounds good to your ear; if you are so much of a rookie that you can't play the instrument yet, I suggest having someone who is at least familiar with violas to play/listen.

If your going for 'best quality' and you can't tell the difference in what you hear, then they are all of equal quality to your ear. Sound and fit are the most important.

If you really are a real rookie, then I suggest renting first. As you pay some places put that money as credit towards buying the actual instrument. If you want to quit playing you haven't payed the full cost, and the instrument will sound better than most $500 Violas.

Well, I bought my viola on my secound year of playing and i personally LOVE this viola even if its chinese. If you search it up its name is Cecilo its not a budget breaker i bought mine from K and K music http://www.kkmusicstore.com/ I love the tone of this instrument its not a budget breaker and normally the instrument goes for 1000+ i even have asked a retailer!!!

I certainly wouldn't discount Chinese instruments. I know of a good luthier in Syracuse (Tom Hosmer) that buys the better quality Chinese instruments out there, fixes them up and resells them at really good prices for the incredible quality he shapes them up into.

Some of his instruments that I had tried when I was looking to buy about 5 years ago were very similar in sound to the violas I had sampled from Johnson Strings that were in the $5000 range (the ones of his I was comparing were about $900 - but he did have many at much lower price points that were still good instruments).

I ended up getting a viola off Craig's List. I picked up a mint condition Gliga Gems I with new Helicore strings and fiberglass bow. Sounds fantastic to me and my instructor is pleased as well. Having a great time with it.